How does smoking cause throat cancer?
Cancer is still the scourge of the most terrifying disease in the world. This disease can affect anyone indiscriminately, but has not found any cure. Well of the many types of cancer, throat cancer is one of the most risky to be experienced smokers active. How can someone get throat cancer due to smoking?
Early cancer cells appear in the throat
The throat is a ring-like muscular tube that acts as an air inlet, food, and liquid. The tube is located behind the nose extending to the bottom of the neck. Every part of the throat potentially becomes a place of cancer cell development.
The throat itself consists of a tissue containing cells that can continue to be in the throated. This means that a damaged or "aged" cell will always be replaced with a new one. However, this cell turnover process can not run properly if the cell DNA in the throat is subjected to mutations. Mutated cells can develop fiercest out of control and form potentially cancerous tumors.
Cancer cells can begin to develop in the pharynx or larynx. The pharynx is a conduit that extends from the back of the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (the throat) and the oesophagus. Esophageal is a tube that flows from the throat to the stomach.
While the larynx is part of the throat that is between the base of the tongue and the throat stem. Laryngeal cancer usually attacks the area of the sound box that is home to the vocal cords, the part that emits sound when you speak.
The cause of genetic mutation in the throat cell DNA is not much known. However, the congenital genetic factors of the family have a big role as a cancer trigger. Cells subjected to mutations can be derived genetically from one generation to another.
More and more family members suffer from throat cancer, the greater the risk you experience. Especially if most of your family who are experiencing cancer are relatively young and include close relatives, such as parents, siblings, grandparents, and uncle or aunt.
However, the family history factor only accounts for about 5-10% of all throat cancer cases. There are many more cases of throat cancer that occur due to the influence of unhealthy lifestyles, especially smoking.
How can throat cancer occur due to smoking?
Ideally the cells in the throat will continue to evolve and divide themselves to replace the cells that are old and not functioning anymore. If there is one of the cells that mutates, then the other cells will suffer the same damage and divide themselves uncontrollably.
However, our immune system is not designed to be able to detect this problem. Abnormal cells that continue to mutate and develop more and more, potentially causing malignant tumor growth in the throat.
So, what is the relation of cell mutations to smoking habits? One of the trigger factors in the area is the content in cigarettes. There are more than a hundred harmful chemicals contained in one cigarette, and at least 70 of them have been shown to possess the characteristics of cancer-triggering carcinogens.
Here are a number of toxic chemicals contained in a cigarette.
Nicotine
Hydrogen cyanide
Formaldehyde
Arsenic
Ammonia
Benzene
Carbon monoxide
Nitrosamines
Polycyclic aromatic Hindrocarbon (PAH)
The toxic effect of these chemicals that you receive every time sucking cigarettes indirectly causes the change of cells in the throat while weakening the immune system.
Well, this is what makes a person more high risk of throat cancer due to smoking. Researchers from the American Cancer Society even noted that there are at least 12 types of cancers that can occur due to smoking habits, including throat cancer.
The risk even remains the same when you suck tobacco with a cigar, not a cigarette leam. The cigar smoker is at risk 4-10 times higher to die from cancer of the esophagus, oral cancer, and cancer of the larynx compared to non-smokers.
In principle, all tobacco products, be they cigarette tobacco, cigar, chewing tobacco, inhalation tobacco, until high-risk tobacco pipe causes throat cancer. The longer and often you use tobacco products,
The risk of getting throat cancer is higher.
The risk of throat cancer increased due to smoking habit while drinking alcohol
For some people, it is less complete if not smoking while drinking alcohol.
However, the risk of developing throat cancer will be increasingly higher due to smoking habit and drinking alcohol simultaneously. Actually this fact is no longer surprising. Alcohol has been formally classified as a carcinogen substance since 1987, as Susan Gapstur has revealed, vice president of epidemiology at the American Cancer Society in the New York Times page. Why so?
Alcohol can cause cancer in several ways. Firstly, the content of ethanol in alcoholic beverages will be transformed by the body into toxic chemicals that can damage the DNA. Secondly, ethanol can also cause tissue damage and alter the metabolism of folate that affects cell function in the body.
So, why is the risk of throat cancer can be higher due to alcohol and smoking habits simultaneously?
Research reveals that alcohol facilitates chemicals in cigarettes to damage the cells that coat the mouth, throat, and esophagus. Alcohol can also inhibit the process of repairing cells that damage DNA due to the influence of chemicals in cigarettes.
Not only throat cancer, the risk of mouth and esophageal cancer can also increase because you get used to drink liquor and smoking for a long time.
Quit smoking Now
You may already know what are the dangers of smoking from commemorative images printed on each cigarette wrap. From the long description above, you've now also better understand how cancer, especially throat cancer, can occur due to a merowed habit.
Thus, one of the most surefire ways to lower risk or even prevent it altogether is to quit smoking. Even so, realizing the intention to quit smoking is often considered impossible. Not a few of the active smokers who prefer to be resigned and live with all the risks.
In fact, there is no word musatahil let alone late to quit smoking. Though initially heavy, believe me that you will get more health benefits when it manages to quit smoking. The good effect can also be felt within one hour after the last cigarette butts.
Here are some easy ways to help you start quitting smoking from now on.
1. Start slowly
For those of you heavy smokers, decided to immediately not smoke at all is very heavy. The symptoms of "sakau" cigarettes may cause your body to react violently.
That's why you should start slowly. Remember: In this world nothing is instant. All things definitely need a process.
If you are accustomed to spending one pack of cigarettes in a day, start by leaving one or two rods at the end of the day. Familiarize yourself with the cigarettes within a week, then add up to the remaining 3-4 rods at the end of your day. Keep adding again the number of cigarettes to be reduced in the following days.
When you can get through a matter of days, add a deadline so count weeks and per month until you can actually quit smoking.
2. Avoid the trigger factor
Usually the most crucial time that one wants to smoke is after eating or in the evening and coffee.
Now that you are not tempted to smoke, please fill in the spare time by doing other activities. Take for example, play games on HP, watch TV, exercise, leisurely walk out the house, or eat a sugar-free gum.
You can also overcome the desire to put something into your mouth by drinking cold water through a straw or eating lollipops. For some people, these two ways are often effective at overcoming their return to smoking.
In essence, keep yourself busy so that your cigarette cravings can be distracted.
3. Ask others for support
Sometimes the influence of social environment also contributes greatly to the desire to smoke. If possible, tell your friends that you are struggling to quit smoking. Good friends should be supportive and understand this.
Do not hesitate to also ask for support from nearby people around you. Call it, family and spouse. Their support can add a positive energy intake so that you stay consistent to quit smoking.
4. Recall the reason of quitting smoking
If one day you feel like giving up, try to remember again what the strongest reason you quit smoking.
Are you afraid of getting throat cancer due to smoking? Or worried about the condition of a parent, spouse, or even a child who is always exposed to cigarettes?
As an ingredient for self-reflection, try to write down all the reasons on a paper and paste it where you can clearly see it. For example in front of a mirror. These reasons can be powerful weapons to increase your motivation so as not to re-smoke.
5. Gift Yourself
Quitting smoking is not easy. Therefore, when you've managed to quit smoking at all, it doesn't hurt to reward yourself.
You can "invest" the money that was originally to buy cigarettes into the savings. If the money in the savings has been felt enough, you can use it for vacation or buy the items you like.
Throat cancer that occurs due to smoking should not be underestimated. Similar to the type of cancer in general, throat cancer can be risky when not getting the right treatment.
Consult with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about throat cancer, other risks that may occur due to smoking habits, or a more effective way to quit smoking.
0 Komentar
Post a Comment